ENGINEER - RESEARCH ENGINEER - Geothermal System Design and Analysis Lead at Southwest Research Institute

Who We Are:

The Rotating Machinery Group at Southwest Research Institute is responsible for transitioning ideas and concepts for improving machinery, machinery based power systems, and renewable energy systems into tangible systems that we design, build, and test.

Objectives of this Role:

• Looking for an engineer to enable modeling and control of complex thermal fluid systems comprising control valves, piping, machinery, heat exchangers, and other various fluid/gas components to support geothermal system design and development
• Enable our team to incorporate advanced control and monitoring strategies into test facilities and piping systems that are delivered to the client.
• Enable fast and efficient commissioning of complex power generation systems and components from kW to MW scale.
• Assist clients in determining the cost effectiveness of different machinery configurations for advance geothermal power cycles.
• Write reports and present technical data to clients and industry peers.

Daily and Monthly Responsibilities:

• Develop models for fluid thermal systems using 1D finite volume of finite element principles. This may include the use of off the shelf software such as Hysys, NPSS, or fluent.
• Develop and validate simulations for control strategies for fluid thermal systems using 1D finite volume of finite element principles utilizing innovative configurations of machinery. This may include the use of off the shelf software such as Hysys, NPSS, or fluent.
• Develop improved or optimized fluid thermal system designs/improvements for existing or planned systems based off of model feedback.
• Run cycle analysis and optimize cycles for refrigeration and power generation.
• Develop new research topics for advancing geothermal and district heat applications.

Requirements:

• Requires a Bachelors, Masters or a PhD in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.
• 0-5 years: Thermal fluid system modeling and control background.
• Graduate experience in developing model and control algorithms for thermal fluid piping systems is preferred.
• Classes or Experience in Off the shelf software such as Hysys, NPSS, or fluent or similar or interest in related software.
• Will need to operate tests outdoors, indoors, and in extreme environments at field sites.
• A valid/clear driver's license is required.